By From the Archives
September 5 2002

In our third look back to Saints v Falcons games we go back to December last year and the game at Kingston Park. The Saints had been down in the doldrums and were viewed as lambs to the slaughter, however a certain person turned up that cold winters day and had an immediate effect. Smudger instant hit as Saints crush Falcons

By Saint Not On The Spot
Date: 3/12/2001

So there is a God after all? Just as most of us were looking forward, or not, to another week of Saintly despair the boys came good in style. The light at the end of the long dark tunnel could, on yesterdays showing, soon be bright Gold, Black n Green sunshine.

Forget what you may have read elsewhere about it being a poor game of rugby and Saints win being all down to how inept the the Falcons were, its utter tosh. Yet again we find journalists taking the one story from the Press Association and trying to put their own spin on it. Yes people were leaving in droves but purely because the Falcons supporters could no longer bear to see their team ripped apart by a rampant Saints outfit. (On top of that it was bloody cold!)


Newcastle were made to look bad by a Saints side playing out of their skin that harried the opposition at every opportunity. As John Steele said post match - "Today we stuck at it, closed Newcastle down and forced them into making errors."


The Falcons were never allowed to settle and despite one error when Ben Cohen and Paul Grayson faled to clear an awkward bounce the defence, with Cohen outstanding held firm.


Indeed apart from this error the 'flying' Falcons never really threatened the Saints twenty two and it was on this bedrock of defence that the Saints built their comprehensive victory.


The Saints started like their lives depended on it, and in some cases their livelihoods did. Early pressure failed to gained any points however despite the game being played exclusively in the Falcons half.


To compound the lack of points the first foray in the Saints half by the Falcons ended with a penalty and three points kicked by Dave Walder.


It looked like the same old story, dominance, then once the opposition hit back, doubts came in and confidence would drop. But not today, this was a new Saints, watched for the first time by their new coach Wayne 'Smudger' Smith. They were a fired up collective nightmare for the Falcons as they took the game again and again to the home side who had very little to offer in return.


The newly applied pressure soon bore fruit as on the half hour the Saints forwards upped a gear and drove deep into Newcastle territory. A scrum, reset three times, allowed Ben Cohen to burst through a Falcons defence left in abject disarray by the disruption.


Larry converted but woe was to follow for the stand in fullback as a Tom May chip eluded him from the kickoff allowing the young centre an easy score. Still though their was no panic, or head dropping in the ranks, they just drew breath, regrouped and the Saints again laid siege to the Newcastle line.


Rob Hunter who proved many doubters wrong (including myself) with a brilliant back row display, and without any doubt his best in a Saints shirt, broke free and led the charge to the line. Held up the ball was recycled to young flyhalf James Brokks who outwitted the vaunted home defence to break over for the try.


Grayson again converted to restore the Saints lead at 14-13 going into the break of the game that the lads had well and truly dominated from the off.


The Falcons were expected to regain compusure in the second half by introducing their experienced batch of replacements including Gary Armstrong and Gardens legend Pat Lam and it was a suprise to most that they did not appear for the second period.


Not that they could have halted the slide of their team as with only a couple of minutes gone Ben Cohen, who gave Liam Botham such a torrid afternoon he's probably thinking of going back to cricket, again forced his way through for the Saints third and his second try of the afternoon.


Grayson converted and the Saints were now truly in control in both the tight and the loose and a strong points advantage that Newcastle never looked like denting.


Again camped in the Falcons half it took a change in personnel on the hour to increase and secure the game. England U21 skipper Mark Tucker came on for Wallaby Peter Jorgensen and almost with his first touch scored the Saints fourth, and a bonus point earning try.


Even the introduction of Lam and Armstrong could not save the Falcons now.


Larry again converted and the Saints were home and dry but not before Ben Cohen had put in the tackle of the afternoon on Falcon flanker Taione who only had the tryline to beat after waltzing around Grayson.


The tackle, and indeed Cohens performance summed upped Saints afternoon as referee Nigel Yates brought proceedings to an end.


I don't want to jump the gun but it blooks like the corner could well have been turned. Some players had outstanding games and even the Newcastle media was full of praise for James Brooks, 'Wally' Thompson, Ollie Brouzet and yes, yet again Andy Blowers but all the players deserve a big thank you from all the supporters for putting pride back into the club and giving us some hope again.


Today sees the first day of Waynes Smiths reign at the club, on yesterdays showing he's got a damn good base to work on.


Onwards and upwards.......